Dean Burmester has confirmed that he will defend his Investec South African Open title when it returns to Durban Country Club from 27 February to 2 March.
Burmester claimed an emotional three-stroke victory in this Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour co-sanctioned tournament last season, adding his name to an illustrious list of past home champions from Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Ernie Els to Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Thriston Lawrence.
Lawrence, the 2022 champion, has also confirmed that he will tee it up as part of a strong field of Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour stars chasing the $1.5-million prize money for the 114th Investec South African Open Championship.
The championship is returning to Durban Country Club for the first time since 2010 when Ernie Els won his fifth national Open here.
“For us as South Africans it’s our fifth Major and we all want to win it so badly,” said Burmester. “To have won this championship sponsored by Investec, who gave me my first break as a young professional, is very special. I’m very grateful. This is a tournament I watched growing up and I watched legends like Ernie, Retief, Louis and Branden win this.”
The championship will also have a new date. The shift from its traditional December slot on the international golf calendar to February is as a result of an international schedule change on both the Sunshine Tour and DP World Tour.
Durban Country Club has undergone a significant renovation and the redesign of several holes to present a golf course that has been upgraded and strengthened for its hosting of the SA Open.
“We are extremely proud to host the Investec South African Open Championship for a record 18th time and to showcase the major upgrades to the golf course,” said Errol Stewart, chairman of Durban Country Club. “We are privileged to have the Investec South African Open back on these fairways for what we are sure will be a challenging and memorable test of golf.”
Photo: Luke Walker/Getty Images
